February 2021

Empowering people and communities to achieve financial well-being by championing the credit union philosophy of 'people helping people'.

Exciting Updates from the ICUF Team

The ICUF team is excited to share some changes to our team! It was recently announced that Executive Director Jaimie Miller will be taking on a new role as Vice President for the Iowa Credit Union League (ICUL). In her new role, Jaimie will continue to oversee the Iowa Credit Union Foundation as executive director and support the ICUF team with oversight of staff, strategic planning, financial reporting and governance. With her continued involvement in ICUF, the connection between the work of ICUL and ICUF will strengthen the efforts of both organizations.

ICUF would also like to congratulate program manager Jelena 'Ena' Babic Barnes, who has been promoted to a full-time position within the Foundation! Ena will continue her work to support the day-to-day needs of the Foundation, as well as lead ICUF's programming initiatives.

During this time of growth and transition, Joe Montez will continue supporting ICUF by leading donor stewardship and providing administrative assistance. If you have any questions about upcoming ICUF events or programming, please don't hesitate to reach out.

GreenState Credit Union Commits to Help Close the Racial Home Ownership Gap

The GreenState Credit Union Board of Directors has set a goal of investing $500,000,000 during the next decade to help close Iowa's racial homeownership gap. Iowa has the sixth-largest gap in the United States. This investment will include targeted mortgage lending with the possibility of closing cost or down payment assistance for qualifying members. Learn more here. Kudos, GreenState Credit Union, for your work to address racial inequities and improve Iowa communities!

2021 ICUF Event Information

"People Helping People" Financial Coach Training Program Registration Opening Soon Registration and scholarship applications will be opening soon for the 2021 financial coach training program. Be on the lookout for more information!

Save the Date for Benefit Night Mark your calendars - you don't want to miss ICUF's largest fundraising event of the year! The ICUF Benefit Night fundraiser will be held September 16 in Dubuque.

Fund Established to Honor Late Dale Owen

Former President/CEO of Ascentra Credit Union Dale Owen passed away in November 2020, however the community impact work that he prompted and inspired continues on in his name. The Quad Cities Cultural Trust has established The Dale Owen Art and Culture Match. It will match every $1 given up to $500,000 to support art and culture programs in the Quad Cities. Learn more here.

211 Helpline Launched to Break Language Barriers

The Refugee Alliance of Central Iowa (RACI) and Lutheran Services in Iowa, in partnership with 211, the Polk County Heath Department, and the Iowa Department of Public Health, have launched a 211 Language Helpline that will help Iowans who are limited in English. 211 is a community organization dedicated to help people access the best local resources and services to address any need. Through the language helpline, interpretations are available for more than 20 languages. Learn more here.

Utilize Prosperity Now Scorecard to Understand Member Needs

If your credit has never utilized the Prosperity Now Scorecard, now is the time to take a look! The scorecard offers the ability to customize reports on the true cost-of-living at the state level - information that is more important than ever as we consider how to combat the ongoing economic crisis of the pandemic. The profiles provide a comprehensive look at financial stability based on median monthly income, discretionary funds for savings left over after monthly bills, and data on emergency expenses and aspirational financial goals on the geographic level. Click here to learn more.

Emotional Engagement: Differentiate Your Members' Experience

As the financial industry focuses on building digital ways to deliver convenient, frictionless consumer experience, many are overlooking the impact of how digital capabilities may make members feel emotionally. Here are resources to consider when moving away from a person-to-person interaction: Emotional Engagement Webinar Addressing Members' Financial Anxiety During & After COVID-19 Whitepaper Serving the New Digitally Connected Membership Checklist

Read > Watch > Listen > Engage

Looking for some racial inequity awareness resources? Look no further: Confronting Racism at Work: A Reading List Coopera Article: "How to Connect with Hispanic Consumers in 2021" CUNA Article: "Collaborating for Diverse Communities" List of Black-Owned Businesses in Iowa TED Talk: How We Can Make Racism a Solvable Problem - And Improve Policing

Featured Community Impact Stories

Kudos to these credit unions for their recent community impact work! Serve Credit Union Continues Their Commitment to Indian Hills Junior High with Banzai Financial Literacy Linn Area Credit Union Donates More than $13,000 to UI Stead Family Children's Hospital Ascentra and Its Members Raise $23,350, Equivalent to 116,750 Meals, for the River Bend Foodbank GreenState Investment to Help Close Iowa's Racial Homeownership Gap, One of the Worst in the U.S.

Thank you to our donors!

Thank you to our recent donors, who made contributions to support ICUF's mission-based initiatives.

Amy & Murray Williams Andrea Dose Angela Weekley Cedar Falls Community Credit Union Community 1st Credit Union Danelle Brockway Dorothy Back Ena Babic Barnes Gordon Fischer Helen Pearce Jaimie Miller-Ackley

Jeremy Smith Keisha Knepper Matt Chizek Matthew De Bisschop MEMBERS1st Community Credit Union Paddy Friedrichsen River Valley Credit Union Storey Kenworthy Telco Triad Community Credit Union The Family Credit Union

For questions regarding any information in the newsletter, please contact Jaimie Miller at 515.221.3001.

ICUF was established in 1995. Our mission is to empower people and communities to achieve financial well-being by championing the credit union philosophy of "people helping people."